January 2016 - Interim Course Review

Following the record rainfall over the end of 2015 and continuing into January 2016, the quality of the golf course has been greatly compromised by the damage inflicted upon the course, not only during this difficult spell, but during the previous few winters where course closures have been reduced, in line with the changes to Course Policy in 2010. Nevertheless the amount of course closures due to a saturated golf course have raised questions amongst some about the capability of our course, and its drainage systems, to cope. In times of extreme weather, such as this, it clearly can't cope, yet many courses remain closed as long or almost, as much as we do. In fact as January comes to a close, breaking all rainfall records, its clear that all the drainage systems in the world would not have kept us open.

Whilst comments that the course has become a "complete bog" are both unreasonable and inaccurate, nevertheless it is fair to say that all the good parts of the course, most of the tees, fairways and greens are ignored whilst the critical comments are focussed on the undoubtedly boggy areas. These are all, or most, at the ends of paths, which in many cases fall short of the fairways they serve. Or they are at the exit points from greens heading towards the next teeing ground, the pinch points that every club has. Managing these areas have clearly never been high priority and perhaps now is the time to embrace some 'quick fixes' with a use of Astroturf to enable golfers to simply get from 'Point A' to 'Point B' in as effective a way as possible. Even laid down over muddy areas simply to get us through the next few weeks. Do the job properly when conditions improve. The slideshow below serves as a record of areas which, however you look at it, lets the course down, now more than ever, and maybe some solutions need to be found quicker than would otherwise have been planned.

Gallery of Photographs for Holes 1-9

1st tee to fairway

No significant damage at the end, could have a neater finish and be a few yards longer

1st Green - 2nd tee exit path

Needs topping up

And a cut-off drain into the bushes

Access from the green to join the path needs planning

This is never going to cure itself - needs a long-term solution

2nd tee

Tarmac; Concrete, Astroturf and Coxswell... ?

2nd fairway path

Termination point at the fairway needs improving

4th green to 5th tees

4th Green to 5th tees

Simply impassable

5th fairway looking down to the Bridge

Totally impassable

Same area as before

Doesn't look so bad but is truly awful.

6th Pathway

Alternative Buggy Route to be introduced

Proposed alternative buggy route for all year round use

6th astro/concrete ramp.

Worn out area just gets bigger and bigger

6th green exit route

This is s serious blot on the landscape and would arguably be a bigger cause of contention than gorse bush removal.

8th green rear astro exit

Very sensible and practical although not a thing of beauty

6th green rear exit

This proves that astro can be acceptable and sensible but it would look ten times better with some new astro in a continuous piece and not set into the surround which has been repeatedly ridiculed.

9th pathway stops some 60 yards short of the fairway.

9th tee- fairway - impassable.

A long roll of astro leading to the l/h/s slightly higher ground and closer to the fairway seems a sensible and necessary solution. The damage to soil structure will just get worse and worse and worse.

Other Courses now using increasing amounts of Astroturf include St.Andrews and shown below St.Enodoc's new 1st tee path.

Carnoustie also...

Parkstone - a general comparison from a January visit

Parkstone allows an interesting comparison to Crowborough. A wealthy Club they have increased their greenstaff from 7-9 and their annual Course Expenditure spending from £280k-£480k in the last 6 years. A most attractive Heathland golf course, beautifully presented, it has regularly been ranked behind Crowborough in the top 100 English courses GOLF WORLD rankings, but have nevertheless been elevated into the Top 100 GOLF MONTHLY UK rankings, leaving the usually higher ranked Ferndown and Broadstone behind them. And yet, they too have pathways which end too soon, fail to reach the fairways, and find the inevitable 'pinch point' often just a few paces from a green becoming an absolute mess. Astroturf, previously considered by the purist to be undesirable close to a green, simply HAS to be a better bet, a more practical solution to barren, muddy when wet, concrete when dry areas which are just unacceptable at a Club which has any aspirations to be considered as a 'Premier' golf course.

Making the best of what you have

In the midst of the wettest winter in living memory, it is still possible to make the very best of what you have. Its possible to divert the focus on areas which are perceived as bad, which they are, such as the muddy boggy areas, by a maximum effort to showcase what is clearly good. Neither of the two golf clubs shown below are ranked higher than Crowborough in the GOLF WORLD Top 100 but they both have handmown greens as standard practice, and as a result of some simple basic mowing, look terrific. Lesser quality greeens, technically speaking they may be, yet they both look and putt better than ours. Its not difficult for us to do the same, it's simply a question of ambition to show us in the best possible light.

Parkstone Golf Club - 11th January 2016

Prestbury Golf Club - 26th January 2016

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Crowborough Beacon 4th Green - 2nd December 2015

Recovering from heavy duty sandcat treatment, this green is just too small, of poor quality and as this picture ably demonstrates, we have better quality, natural heathland turf on the approach and the sooner we begin to mow this lower and gradually incorporate it into a larger green the better. This obvious solution has been ignored for too long while we carry on playing on a poor surface which is slowly recovering. Notable that despite the better presented greens above, both Parkstone and Prestbury have temporary greens available for use. We neither want, or need temporary greens on a regular basis, but where we can occasionally use flat approaches, if only for occasional frost holes, then we should in extraordinary cicrumstances, such as we are in the midst of right now. Quite frankly it's fooolish not to.

Crowborough Beacon 17th Green - 11th January 2016

This green is just so ridiculously small it will never be any good or sustain wear in bad winter weather. The entire area in the foreground of the picture, can be incorporated into a rearwards extension to the green, relatively cheaply. It neither needs an Architect to design it nor a contruction company to build it, it's so simple. We can do it ourselves if only we had the ambition.

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